


Frostivus - the season of reunion

by TheParlourPoet



Category: Defense of the Ancients | Dota, Dota 2
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:56:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28324197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheParlourPoet/pseuds/TheParlourPoet
Summary: Rizzarack decides to accept an invitation from his Auntie, Beatrix 'Beadie' Snapfire to spend Frostivus together. Tree hilarity and questions of the past ensue.
Kudos: 2





	Frostivus - the season of reunion

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was created as a dota 2 secret Santa request this year which I am ecstatic to create!

In the now rolling white hills that encircle the great valley of the Ancients stands a small wooden cottage constructed of thick timbers and sturdy roofing. From the cracked windows of this peaceful looking hovel comes the smell of baking cookies and gunpowder. Taking a deep breath, Beatrix ‘Beadie’ Snapfire let a small smirk roll up her lips as she pulled the tray of fresh cookies from her oven and placed them on the dark stone slab to cool. 

'Well, I say,' she whistles, leaning against the counter top and closing the oven door with a swift kick of her boot. 'Those cookies smell mighty fine to me. Looks like I won’t have to take apart that darn oven again before Frostivus.' Thinking of Frostivus, even as the smell of those sweet cookies wafted through the cozy kitchen, Beadie looked up and out over the snowy drifts that covered the nearby hills. The Outlands, as the locals called them, could be cold and especially so at night, but this amount of snow was god darn ridiculous. It would be past her shoulders if she walked out there in her biggest set of boots and breeches. Biting her lip, Beadie grabbed her shooting goggles and pulled them off her hair and over her eyes. The snow was almost blinding as it reflected the mid afternoon sun.  _ Now, where in tarnation had that lizard gotten to?  _

Shaking her head even as she pulled the oven mitt off and placed it neatly on the counter, Beadie turned and headed for the back door, grabbing her thick winter coat as she did so. This old thing had been with her for years, even if it didn’t see too much use back in the Outlands except those late nights of practice shooting or when she had to trek into the mountains, of course. But here, in this freezing set of fields, the heavy leather and bear furs really took the chill out of her old bones. That, and it was great for holding her pieces. Throwing the coat on, Beadie grabbed her rifle Ol’ Rackatee, flipped it over her shoulder, and pushed the back door open to step onto the wooden porch of her abode. 

She had swept the porch, of course, as no respectable individual left their porch untidy. But as soon as one left the porch, deep drifts of snow impeded one’s movement. Yet, as Beadie scanned the field before her, it was clear Mortimer had been nearby; great long, twisting lines of snow appeared half melted and resettling even as fresh snow began to fall.  _ That darm lizard, always digging where he ain’t supposed tah. _

'Mortimer!” Beside called, “Get over here, you devil you,' she whistled loudly as the words echoed over the field. Instantly, Beadie felt her longtime companion's eyes on her, though she could not see where he was hiding. A second passed, and then another, and Beadie could hear the sound of shifting, churning snow off to her left. The churning snow curved towards her even as a great grin spread across her face as Mortimer leaped out of the snow and onto the porch, chunks of snow sliding off of him as it began to melt on his warm scales. Licking a few pieces of stubborn snow from his lips, Mortimer immediately began bouncing around Beadie with glee. 

‘Alright, alright you giant Lizard! Calm your kahoots down and let me take a look at yah.’ She pulled the lizard's face down to look at her own as she spoke, looking him in the eye. ‘I always thought you went a little crazy up in those mountains, the altitude messing with ya head, but truth is you just love the snow, don't you?’ She scratched him under the jaw as she spoke and Mortimer affectionately nuzzled into her. The cold wind of the area continued to blow and after another moment, despite Mortimer’s warm scales, Beadie found the wind biting through her coat and into her bones. 

'Ooooh, that blasted wind be cutting. Let’s get inside, Mortimer, and see what my nephew is up to.” she turned and took a step towards the back door before a thought shot through her mind, causing her to wheel back around. “An don’t you go all running in and giving him a fright,” she wagged her finger before the dragon toad. “Ya know he’s skittish and he doesn’t exactly come around alot, so behave.” 

Rizzrack, her nephew, had come just the previous night, marching up in his loud, whirring machine. The pair of them hadn’t exactly been on the best of terms, although it wouldn’t be wrong to say it was a disagreement between sisters, Rizzrack’s mother and Beadie, that had carried over a generation. But this valley was strange and as much as she wasn’t one for tradition, Frostivus had a special charm to it. The gift giving, the family gatherings, the celebration of the end of the year and new beginnings. 

Well, either it was that special charm or she was going soft in her old age. 

Before that thought could even continue, a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass cascaded outwards from the house. It sounded like it came from the lounge. 

'What in the Hells?!' Beadie declared, dropping the safety from Ol’ Rackatee and charging into the house, Mortimer chasing closely behind. The cottage itself was quite small, but when Beadie had built this place she had been sure to make the corridors and doors wide enough for a Dragon Toad to scurry through, else all manner of unfortunate accidents were certain to happen! Bounding through those same corridors, Beadie leapt over the pile of currently unused Frostivus decorations, skidded into the living room, and leveled her rifle. 

The Lounge was a cozy room with a sturdy, hand carved coffee table and two small sofas, one clearly having been used by Mortimer as a napping spot for many months despite being too big for it. To the far end of the room was a rocking chair made of dark wood and faded with years of use alongside a sturdy looking fireplace with a full assortment of logs and firestarter tools set out. Just off and to the right of the fireplace there  _ had _ been a large Frostivus tree, undecorated as Beadie had planned to decorate it with her nephew. However, said nephew was currently in the midst of shoving the tree out of the window! At the sight, Beadie quickly became frustrated and angry.

'Rizzrack, what in the seven hells are you doin’ to ma Frostivus tree?' she lowered her weapon even as she spoke, although that didn’t make her appear any less dangerous. 

Rizzrack froze and a small bead of nervous sweat rolled down his forehead as the panic began to set in. Granny had heard him.  _ Well of course she had heard me, I broke the window! But still, she was fast… really fast. _ ' _ Granny _ , well you see… the thing is, I tried to ignore the TREE in the room and well, I couldn’t, I didn’t sleep… all night, and then it TWITCHED! Just now while you were baking your cookies! On its own!' he raised a finger to illustrate the point, 'and I knew, no no no no, it can’t stay here, it’s too dangerous, it had to go and so I’m getting rid of it.' even as the words left his mouth, Rizzarack could feel the fear rising in him, this was Granny,  _ his Granny _ , she wasn’t exactly known for being… Granny-like.

Beadie was about to lose it. Not only had her nephew ruined her Frostivus tree beyond repair, but he had smashed the window good too! How could her sister’s boy be so damn irresponsible? She lowered her piece and glared at the boy, but the words of anger died on her tongue as she looked at Rizzrack and then to the ruined Frostivus tree. Sure, the boy was anxiety fueled and irrational, but she had invited him here… and he had come… and it was Frostivus. She knew the trouble her nephew had,  _ you don’t blame a faulty oven for burning your cookies if you knew about it and did nothing _ . Beadie let out a heavy sigh, 'Well blast it Rizzarack, you could have at least opened the darn window instead of smashin’ it. Get that tree outta here and then you’re helping me board up the window, I don’t plan on freezing tonight!'

Rizzrack let out a breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding,  _ That had gone… well? Very well! He wasn’t full of lead or running away from the lizard! Was he already dead? Had Granny been that fast? Could this be the afterlife… something beyond the Ancients?  _ As he stumbled clumsily through these metaphysical questions, Rizzrack felt the prickle of pine needles against his back.  _ NO! He wasn’t dead, there wouldn’t be any damn trees in his afterlife!  _ Shifting nervously, realising he had been quiet for a little too long, Rizzrack spoke up, doing his best to look at his Auntie, but only somewhat succeeding. 'Umm, well, okay, okay Auntie Beatrix… I will. Ican help'. Turning sharply, Rizzrack began to shove the tree as hard and as fast as his little arms would let him. 

'Just Beadie, please,” the gunslinger sighed, shaking her head as her nervous nephew began to feebly push the tree. How he had even lifted it in the first place to move it she had no idea. Seeing an opportunity for teaching, Beadie leant against the doorframe smugly and watched as Rizzrack struggled against the tree. Minutes passed and as Rizzrack made little progress, he began to look back and see Beadie watching him, panic setting in as he struggled more and more with the tree. 

Rizzrack began to panic, 'I’ve got it Granny! I got it I promise, I just need…'   
  
'A helpin’ hand?' Beadie interjected, her smug grin growing wide. “Look, Rizzrack, sometimes you gotta go things alone, shoot straight and settle your own business. An’ sometimes you gotta say to yourself, I need a hand, and a strong one at that.”   
  
'I need a hand?' Rizzrack questioned, surprised by his Auntie’s positive attitude.   
  
'You do? Well golly I have just the Lizard who can help!' Beadie declared, stomping one foot and using her free hand to whistle for Mortimer. Immediately, the great scaled dragon toad came speeding into the Lounge, causing Rizzrack to all but jump out of his skin as the beast stopped just short of Beatrix ‘Beadie’ Snapfire, one of her famous cookies in his mouth, which he swallowed happily.    
  
'Oh, you cheeky devil you! Tak’n what ain’t yours yet, but as I was saying to young Rizzrack here,' she continued, rubbing the dragon toad’s snout, “it’s Frostivus. Now, get outside you crazy lizard, we gonna get this tree out of ma window, and then we are gettin’ a new un.” 

Pressed hard between the bloody lizard and a tree, Rizzarack gulped, 'A... n-n-new t-t-t tree, Beadie?' he questioned fearfully, his eyes going wide.    
  
Beside pushed Mortimer towards the door and turned back to her nephew, 'Aye, boy, ‘tis Frostivus and I may not be much for tradition, but ya gotta ‘ave a tree on Frostivus else the rest of the damn holiday ain’t worth much, and you,' she pointed to her Rizzarack, “are gonna cut the tree down, once we pick it.” Before he could question anything, Rizzrack found himself nodding frantically, even as his Auntie smiled at the response.    
  
It didn’t take them long to remove the tree from the window once Beadie had Mortimier pull it from the outside (with Rizzarack’s great efforts from inside, of course). Once the tree was removed, Beadie and Rizzrack worked together to board up the now broken window. Rizzrack put that whirring machine of his to good use, slicing the boards for the window while Beadie hammered them in with a practiced hand. Once that was done, Beadie and Rizzrack grabbed their winter gear; thick, heavy boots with spurs, her ragged winter coat and a thick bear fur hat for Beadie, Rizzarack settled for two shirts and one normal jumper, followed by a thick green jumper over it and a red and green Frostivus themed beanie hat. For footwear, Rizzrack had some worn but comfortable hiking boots.   
  
As Beadie threw her saddle bags over Mortimer and hopped into the main chair she tossed her head back and looked at her Nephew climbing into that blasted machine of his. “Rizzrack, I ain’t talking to yah over that machine whirring and hissing all tha time. Come ride with me an’ Mortimer.”   
  
'Beadie, I, I-I I’m not sure, I mean, Mortimer is a lovely… fire breathing lizard. But I could be comfy, here… in my machine.' Rizzrack began, hesitating from climbing further into the machine. 

'Oh, don’t you worry about Mortimer, Rizzrack, he will look after ya as well as he looks after me. Now get down from there and hop on.' Beadie continued, her voice fiery, but with an undercurrent of… positivity?   
  


A moment passed as Rizzrack considered his options. He felt safe in the machine, in his machine he knew he was safe and he could survive anything and out here… there could be anything. But he had to admit, it was really loud, and while he had customised his great machine for the harsh winter months, it could get quite cold in there. Plus… he wasn’t exactly in his Granny’s good books, could he say no? He doubted it.   
  
'Alright, Granny…' he managed, climbing down from the machine. “But I don’t exactly know how to ride… that,” he continued, indicating Mortimer.    
  
Beadie grinned at her nephew even as the sun was beginning to dip in the sky high above, casting an orange glow over the land. 'Well, darn, I guess we gotta get you some ridin’ lessons when this snow melts. No good trying teach yah proper when it’s like this. It’s extra tricky, you see. But for now, hop on and just hold on. If you fall, worst thing is you fall into the snow.' Beadie chuckled, offering a hand to her nephew.    
  


Taking the hand, Rizzrack nervously scrambled up the waiting lizard who seemed unbothered by the winter chill. In fact, Rizzarack realised quickly why as the heat radiating from Mortimer’s scales helped take the edge off of the fast approaching Frostivus evening.    
  


As Rizzrack mounted, Beadie gently spurred Mortimer onwards and turned to look at her nephew, her shooting goggles reflecting Rizzrack’s own nervous expression as he balanced, clearly inexperienced, on the lizard. 'Now then, my boy, let’s talk.'

'About w-what Granny Beadie?' Rizzrack stuttered, doing his best to balance as Mortimer navigated the snow with ease. 

'About you.'

It took them a little under an hour to travel North until they found an outcropping of strong trees, any of which would make a suitable Frostivus tree. In this time, the sun had set and high above, alongside the shattered moons, the stars could be seen glistening in the sky, even as the cold wind reminded them all of their earthly bounds. Fortunately, the keen were quite adept at seeing in the dark and a lantern was unnecessary. Of course, the pair had been too engrossed with their conversation to really pay much attention to their surroundings. 

'Of course I made mistakes,' Beadie interrupted Rizzarack as she steered Mortimer towards the crop of trees ahead. 'Course I did, Hell, so did your mother and my mother. We all made mistakes.'    
  
'We needed you, Auntie!' Rizzrack protested, his voice no longer filled with fear, but with sadness. The journey had felt longer than an hour as Beadie had probed him with question after question and while at first he had been nervous, terrified even of his Auntie’s response, she had been… dare he say, polite? Patient… it was strange to him. But the conversation had started now, and he wasn’t willing to let it die. 'We needed you in Aug... Augury… we needed you before… before. If you had been there.'   
  
'I would be as dead as your Ma, Rizzrack.' Beadie interjected again, the words heavy in the air. It stung to bring this up, but they could hardly have a good Frostivus with over a decade of family drama unsaid. 

Rizzrack was taken aback, 'Dead? You’re THE Beatrix Snapfire,  _ Gunslinger,  _ Bounty hunter, all around adventurer! If you and Mortimer had been in Augury we could have…'   
  
'But that’s just it Rizzrack, I left because I was stifled, because I didn’t want to be just like everyone else. I remember how you were as a baby, always tinkering with things, always jumping at shadows.' Beadie began, memories of that time flooding back to her. 

'I liked tinkering with you.' Rizzrack added, recalling how Beadie would always let him mess around with some of her spare contraptions. Never the guns of course, but sometimes the bullets.    
  
'And ya were mighty good at it too. But Rizzarack, I didn’t belong there. I couldn’t be ma’self. I had to leave, and it is when I left I became, well, you know what they say.'

'I do,' Rizzrack nodded, 'I just wish you had been there… It-it isn’t fair!' he snapped, turning sharply to stare over the dark hill behind them.    
  
'If I could be put in Augury Bay as I am now, I would go in a heartbeat, you crazy boy. But if I had stayed I would be dead, and you would be without an Auntie as well as a Ma. But you’re the smart one, Rizzrack. You got yourself out of that hell hole, an’ don’t let anyone tell you that you hidin’ ‘til your machine was done was cowardice. No siree, that there’s bravery sure as anything. Standing up for what you believe in, but standing up just to get shot down? That ain’t bravery, that’s stupidity, and in all my years I’ve seen it too often. You got no way out? You be brave. But you see a way out, you take it and take it good.' As Beadie lamented the difficult decisions her nephew had had to make, she was thankful for her shooting goggles, which concealed that her eyes were beginning to water. She really did miss her sister. 

Rizzrack was honestly and understandably confused. He hadn’t had a conversation like this with his Auntie in… well ever!  _ Was she going senile? Old people get emotional right? Was that an age thing or just the weight of your overwhelming regrets from years of neglect causing you to seek forgiveness?  _ He wasn’t sure. But then, thinking about Augury Bay and everything that had happened wasn’t exactly his preferred Frostivus plans! Especially so when he wasn’t in or near his machine and they were approaching trees. 

'I can feel you stiffening up there, Rizzrack,' Beadie called back to him. 'I got my piece and Mortimer here can eat trees, you know. So don’t you go runnin’ off on me, this is going to be good for you.'   
  
'Good for me how? We are near trees! Nothing good ever came from being near trees, Granny!' Rizzrack exclaimed, his heartbeat rapidly increasing. 

'Well, you shouldn’t have shoved the tree out tha window then, should ya? You gotta learn when to be afraid, Rizzrack. Fear can keep you alive, keep you alert.'   
  
'I am alert, for the TREES!' Rizzrack piped in, his voice cracking just a little even as he pointed at the crop of trees.    
  
'I know you are, I know.' Beadie continued calmly, her breath misting in the cool night air. 'But you got to learn when to relax, else you aren’t livin’, are you? I remember when I was on the run from bandits.'   
  
'Another war story, Granny?' Rizzrack questioned. 

'Yeah, another war story, you listen good you whippersnapper,' Beadie snapped back. 'Anyway, I didn’t sleep for days. Eventually, I couldn’t tell my dreams from waking! Trust me, that is a strange time. But you see, Rizzrack,' Beadie continued, dismounting Mortimer when he had stopped some 30 paces from the nearest tree. 'I had to sleep, I had to rest and stop bein’ afraid. Once I calmed down, got some proper sleep and looked at my situation, I found out I had lost them three towns back.' Beadie let a deep laugh grow as she recalled those difficult times. 'You see, I had been worrying for nothing. Sometimes you’re doing the same, Rizzarack.'   
  
Rizzrack had been listening, he had heard Beadie, but his eyes were focused on the trees ahead of them. 'I see what you’re saying, Auntie.' he took a deep breath, 'but trees are  _ everywhere _ .' 

'As are murderers and bandits. You probably walk past half a dozen of them everyday, but you don’t know or don’t notice. Now, we are going to get that new Frostivus tree and I want you to cut it down. And before you start hollerin’ at me, you can use my axe.' Beadie explained, retrieving an old woodcutting axe from the side of her saddle bags. 'This old gal has been great to me for many years. She might be a little heavier than you’re used to, she's made of star metal, but I’m sure you will manage,' Beadie continued, retrieving a well worn, wooden shafted woodcutter's axe with a head made of a dark metal. Offering it to Rizzrack, Beadie smiled as Mortimer sniffed the night air excitedly. 

Before Rizzrack could really question the sheer stupidity of this entire situation, he had hopped down from Mortimer and was taking the axe from his Auntie. The snow here was nearly up to his thighs and it made movement difficult, plus he wished he had packed bigger boots! As he took the axe, Rizzarack all but lost his balance from the sudden weight.  _ Beadie said it was heavy, but fizzlesticks! This is so heavy! _ Pulling up hard, Rizzrack managed to right himself without falling forward or backwards into the snow. He doubted Beadie would ever let him live it down if he had. The cold air now truly beginning to sting his face, Rizzrack began to question what the hell he was actually doing out here. Beadie had invited him over for Frostivus and even though he was terrified of her, he had had to admit to himself that spending Frostivus with family sounded… nice?  _ But all this that Beadie was going on about, his mother, Augury Bay, bandits and trees. He hadn’t expected it at all... but then, what had he expected? He had hoped to not get shot… but expected? Well, he hadn’t gotten that far. _

'Well, come on, Rizzrack! Get moving before you become a Snowkeen! Or ah ya already frozen to the ground?' Beadie joked, smacking her nephew hard on the back. 

As the hand struck him, Rizzrack was thankful for the stacked snow around his legs keeping him in place, else he would have gone face first into the snow. 

'I’m going, I'm going!' he whined, doing his best to take a step in the snow and towards the small outcrop of trees. The one Beadie had indicated was some twenty paces ahead and Rizzrack could hear his heart beginning to race.  _ Was he going to do this, just walk up to a tree with nothing but this really heavy and unwieldy axe _ ? As his thoughts began to tumble uncontrolled through his consciousness, Rizzrack heard a  _ click _ behind him, He turned sharply and saw that Beadie' had loaded her gun, Ol’ Rackatee, and had it ready. 

'I told ya, I got ya covered.' Beadie grinned, holding the rifle at the ready, 'Now get choppin’ afore these old bones get cold.'   
  
Rizzrack was still conflicted, but there was something reassuring in his Auntie, the legendary Beatrix Snapfire, covering him. He knew what her machines could do to steel, nevermind to awful, terrible trees, even Ironwood trees! 

'Okay-okay,' he stammered, unsure whether he was nervous or cold. Slowly, Rizzrack began to step towards the now ominous group of trees. One step, two, and he breathed deeply as he went. He could do this, of course he could, these trees weren’t that big and they definitely wouldn’t be able to move well in all this snow. His eyes darted left and then right, looking for those smaller, more sprightly trees that could jump out of the snow.

He didn’t see any... But he heard something! He turned sharply as the sound of heavy footfalls alerted him to something big running up from behind him. As he turned, Rizzrack lost his footing and fell backwards into the snow as Mortimer hopped over him and began rolling in the snow, a large amount of the ice running off the Dragon Toad in a wet slush.    
  
'Mortimer, you darn crazy lizard! I told ya not to scare ma nephew!' Beadie yelled, clicking her fingers in frustration. 'Are you alright, Rizzrack?' Beadie called, her voice still edged with annoyance but a small amount of humour had already begun to creep in at the whole situation.

Rizzrack spluttered out a small amount of snow that had fallen into his mouth.    
  


'I’m FINE, I’m fine!' He began, standing up sharply, his adrenaline allowing him to heft the heavy axe up from the ground. As he emerged from the deep hole of snow, the excess falling from the now freezing keen, Rizzrack noted Mortimer rolling around in the snow. 'I thought you and him were covering me!' Rizzrack exclaimed, looking between Mortimer and his Auntie. 

'I  _ am _ covering you, and if a two-tonne dragon toad running at ‘em don’t make the trees stop pretending then they ain’t pretending, are they?' Beadie retorted, indicating the still motionless copse of trees with her free hand, Ol’ Rackatee still pressed against her shoulder. 

Rizzrack raised a finger to contest the point but quickly reasserted his grip on the obscenely heavy axe he was still holding.  _ Granny does have a point. The trees are sneaky, but if you run at them with big axes or big monsters _ , his eyes darted quickly to Mortimer,  _ they quickly give up the ruse… maybe there aren’t any moving, evil trees here… just normal, motionless, evil trees. _ 'Alright, Granny, you better be covering me!' Rizzrack called as he stumbled through the snow and towards the closest tree.    
  
Mere moments later, Rizzrack was one swing into taking down the great looming tree above him. How and why people did this without a chainsaw was beyond him! A chainsaw was so much easier and more satisfying for destroying trees! He shook his head and reminded himself he wasn’t trying to destroy, actually destroy, the tree. But just destroy it a little, a controlled destruction of the evil tree. His heart was racing as he took another wide swing into the tree, his Auntie covering him. It felt good, and not just for ruining the tree but because he had someone… 

_ He had someone. _

The realisation was both confusing to him and terrifying to him. Rizzrack frantically cut again and again into the tree, the star metal making short work of the weak trunk until it tumbled over with a satisfying thud. Once he had stopped swinging, Rizzrack just stood there, wondering, thinking of all that had happened tonight… all that had been said.    
  
'Rizzrack, you alright?' Beadie called, slapping him on the back again, Ol’ Rackatee now slung over her shoulder.    
  
Rizzrack jumped a little and answered, 'Yeah-yeah, I am all good, Granny, but a little… tired.' He feebly lifted the axe. Sure, he was tired, but in truth he was tired mentally, like when he had been working on his schematics too long into the night.    
  
Beadie cackled, reached down and took the axe with ease, 'Well of course ye are. First you push a tree out o’ my window, and now you chopped a new one down. That’s a lot of physical work you been doin’, especially so since you be used to ya machines. Come on, Rizzrack, let’s get this tree hitched to Mortimer and he can drag it back home for us.'   
  


It didn’t take them long to hitch the tree to Mortimer. What took longer was convincing him that they had to go home now. In the end, Beadie had to bribe the dragon toad with the promise of more cookies upon their return. Once that was done, the journey passed uneventfully, with Rizzrack considering his realisation from earlier:  _ He had someone now, he had family.  _   
  
Later that evening, once the pair of them had returned to Beadie’s cottage and put the new tree up where the old one had been, Rizzrack warmed himself by the fire. He felt more at ease with the new tree near him, as he had made sure it was dead himself. He had changed out of his snow-drenched clothes and was appreciative of the fireplace and his Auntie’s ample supply of dried logs. He knew they had much to do still, as Beadie had told him in detail how she had boxes and boxes of old decorations to use and, since tonight was Frostivus Eve, they didn’t have long to get it all sorted. Pulling him from his internal contemplation, Rizzrack heard the heavy footfalls of Mortimer coming down the corridor alongside Beadie’s lighter spurred footsteps.    
  
'You’ll get yours, Mortimer, now get down I say, down,' she called, nudging the dragon toad back as best she could with her elbows as she stepped into the lounge with a plate of her famous firesnap cookies and two mugs of what Rizzrack could only presume was hot chocolate. The sweet smell of the confectionery goods set Rizzrack’s senses tingling.   
  
Putting the cookies down, Beadie shook her head. 

'Here yah go, you overgrown lizard,' she joked, grabbing a handful of cookies and tossing them high and far towards Mortimer’s designated sofa, a large worn out piece of furniture that barely fit the creature. Yet, in a hurried series of excited steps Mortimer sprang forward after the cookies, snapped them all up in one bite as they sailed through the air, and continued on to lay upon the sofa, curling himself up much like a dog or a wolf might when it was ready to nap. 

'He never changes,' Beadie remarked, smirking. “Well, my Rizzrack,” she continued, offering one of the steaming mugs, 'we have some cookies left and I brought you a cup of good old hot chocolate to warm them bones.'    
  
Rizzarack took the mug eagerly and sipped it. It burnt his tongue almost immediately, but he didn’t care. The hot, sweet liquid put him at ease. 

'Thank you, Auntie,' he smiled. He was still nervous, but not like before. 'I don’t know if this is right to say. But I think it is,' he took a deep breath, and Beadie watched him with one raised eyebrow. 'I wish you had been there… At Augury Bay, and before you go interrupting me!' Rizzrack added quickly, 'I… I understand why you weren’t there, but I am happy you’re here now, Aunty Beadie.' The words were heavy and Rizzrack’s feeble attempt at a shrug as he spoke could not dissipate the weight of what he had just said.   
  
Beadie had been about to interject, but her nephew’s words had left her stunned, if only for a moment. A rush of joy filled her. 'Oh Rizzrack,' she beamed, stepping forward to hug him with one arm. 'I am so happy you came, I wasn’t there before… but I am here now.'   
  
'Happy Frostivus, Auntie Beadie,' Rizzrack managed under his Auntie's iron grip. 

'Happy Frostivus.' Beadie replied, smiling as she held her nephew close.    


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
